Automatic steam-trap.



No. 824,441. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906. R. P. SCALES & J. P. MOELROY- AUTOMATIC STEAM TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

TEE l urs. 5" Q wmgl No. 824,441. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906. R. P. SCALES & J. F. MOELROY.

AUTOMATIC STEAM TRAP.

urmoumn FILED APB.2.1902.

2 SHEBTS -SEEET 2.

lrlven cars EFL 4 7 AUIE 5' H1 YLEEEEE and JAMES F. MoELRoY, citizens of the United States ot- America, and residents of Albany,-

roan, ASSIGNORS or ALBANY, NEW,

nronnonn r. SCALES AND JAMES F.

MenLeor. or ALBANY, new

TO CONSOLIDATED CAR HEATiNG COMPANY, YORK, A OORPORA'HON WEST VIRGENIA.

euros-retro steam r-e es,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June $36, 190&

Application filed April 24,1902. Serial He. 104,567- I To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that we, RICHMOND P. SCALES to prevent freezing in extremely cold weather,

and, further, to provide for automatically opening and closing said drip-pipe and for meeting the difi'iculty of expansion and contraction without adjustment of the parts.

We attain theseobjects by means of'the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichi I Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts broken away, of a car-heating system supplied with our invention. Fig. 2 is a section.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout both views.

The radiator-pipes A and B are arranged in any suitable manner within the appertment to be heated and are provided with the drip-pipes D l), which enter and deposit their contents in the fitting E, asshown in Fi 2, the fitting E being provided with a collar e, through which passes the train-pipe C, thereby supporting t e fitting and its attachments and at the same time by hot nietalliccontact conveying heat to the other portions of said fitting and the dri -pipes secured to same. We preferably thread the ends of the drip-pipes D D to'mesh with threads in the fitting E. We also connect'to the fitting E in hot metallic contact therewith a blow-oil" pipe G, controlled by a valve F, operated by a valve-stem F, engaging with the casing F and the fitting E. We arrange a screen L, preferably of a cylindrical form and placed around and above the valve K, operated by the thermostatic cell is, which is within the case H or other suitable trap. The valve K, the valve-stem M and their connections, including the cell 7c and its enveloped casing H, sprlng S, and hinged trapcasing J or the parts of the trap employed may all be removed from contact with the fitting E by unscrewing the nut I, which pi e has also eac end, one

meshes with the fitting E. The providedwith screw-threads. at

end engaging with the nut 71, the 'otherwitlr the trap-casing J. The parts being thus separably connected are easily and quickly removed for repairing and changingwithout necessitating the delay of the car for-that purpose. This is an in) ortant consideration in attachments for ra' Way-cars, since it is extremely important that. any necessaryrepairs or alterations in the apparatus should be made if possible without necessitating the laying off of the car. s I

Itis veryimportant that the drip-pipe should Water or steam is im aired or prevented. It has always been difiilzult to prevent freezing at the mouth of the drip-pipe. vention we make so close a with the train-pipe that freezing is impossible in the drip-pipes. Our fitting and attach- By our inbe kept open. 'Otherwise the circulation of the I metallic contact ments thereto are so compact in their construction and arrangement that they take up but little room and are easilyadjusted in their required positions.

The operation of our invention is apparent, The drip from the pipes D D, entering the chamber D passes through the screen L through the opening controlled by the valve K, and when steam appears it causes the expansion of the thermostatic cell 76, forthe operation of the trap employed causes the closure of the'valve K. When it is desired to apply blow-oil pipe, the valve is raised and the contents caused to escape through pipe G.

It will be observed that together without the usual adjusting devices heretofore employed, such as the screw ordinarily present below the thermostatic cell to adjust it up or down to compensate for the variation in the position of the valve with respect to its seat, due to, the expansion and, contraction of the parts or other cause. diameter of the cell 72 is large and the length of pipe h and valvestem M as very short in comparison with prior arrangements of the same generaltype. The result of this construction is that the range of play in the diaphragm of the therthe parts are put mostatic cell is appreciably greater than any change in the lengthoi either pipen or valve The also shown as very rm; stern M which may be caused by expansion p bring them into the relations required by the different conditions. This adjustment is objectionable for may reasons, and we have avoided it by the construction just mentioned, wherein the range of play of the diaphragm is so great that no matter what the difference in the relation of the parts may be the valve will be ultimately opened or ulti-- mately closed Within the range of movement of the diaphragm.

The desired result is best obtained with a thermostatic cell-trap when the cell is made as flexible as is consistent with the necessary strengthand when, as shown in the draw ings, the diameter of the cell substantially equals'the distance from its median diametral plane to the seat of the valve. These relative dimensions may of course be varied somewhat without destroying the described action; but any pronounced departure from this relation seemsto adversely affect the desired working of the trap according to the method above stated.

It will be noted by reference to Fig. 1 that the main part or trunk of the steam-pipe C passes through the fitting E and the radiatorsA B are-supplied by a branch pipe from this trunk-pipe, thus insuring that the fitting shall always be heated so long as any steam is supplied to the train, whether or not the car itself is receiving steam in its radiators.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l 1. In a heating apparatus, a fitting; a steam-pipe passing through said fitting; drippipes connected with a chamber within said fitting; a valve arranged to open and close a port in said chamber in said fitting; a thermostatic cell arranged to operate said valve; a means for mounting said valve and its attachments in connection with said fitting in such a manner that they may be removed therefrom without interfering with or disturbing other portions of said fitting.

2. In a heating apparatus, a fitting; a collar arranged on said fitting; a steam-pipe passing through said collar; drip-,pipes connected with a chamber in said fitting; a valve in said chamber in said fitting; a thermostatic cell arranged to operate said valve;

. a means for removably connecting said thermostatically-operated valve; a blow-off pipe in contact with said fitting; a valve to con trol said bloW-ofi pipe.

3. In a car-heating system, a steam-pipe connecting by 'branch to the car-heaters, a fitting permanently mounted directly on the trunk part of" the steam-pipe and provided with a chamber having drip connection with the car-heaters, a trap in metallic heating connection with the fitting whereby its drip connections are warmed from the steam-pipe and comprising a valve controlling the dri outlet, a thermostatic device controlling tl ie valve, a casing structure supporting and inclosing said device and valve, and a means for mounting said trap on the fitting in such manner as to permit its removal as a unit without disturbing the other parts.

4. In a heating system, the combination of the fitting E formed with a chamber and a collar a steam-pipe mounted in said collar, drip-pipes connected with said fitting and entering the chamber, and a trap removably attached to said fitting and comprising the tubular member 1' screw-threaded into the fitting ,and having a valve-seat, a thermostat-casing J, a short pipe h screwing into the membert and casing J, a thermostatic cell in said casing, a valve K cooperating with the valve-seat, and a stem M connecting the thermostatic cell and the valve.

Signed at Albany, New York, this 17th day of April, 1902.

RICHMOND P. SCALES. JAMES F. MOELROY. Witnesses:

ERNEST D. JANsEN, BEULAH CABLE. 

